Wills tackles male mental health with footie stars
PRINCE William urged men not to try to “man up” and hide their feelings, as he kicked off the Football Association’s new mental health campaign yesterday.
The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of the FA, warned that the consequences of men keeping quiet about their problems have now reached a “crisis point”.
The FA’s Heads Up campaign aims to reach the 12 million people who play football every year.
It will launch at the Community Shield match in August and will run at all levels of football until the 2020 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Speaking at Wembley Stadium yesterday, Prince William, 36, said: “We wouldn’t think twice to ask a mate how he was doing after he broke an arm or an ankle. We wouldn’t hesitate to talk about our routine at the gym. But when it comes to our mental health, we – and, by we, I mean men in particular – often have nothing to say at all.”
“The consequences of this silence – confusion, stigma, and even shame – have reached a crisis point in the UK. At its worst, it has led to appalling rates of suicide in this country – the leading cause of death for men under 45.”
The prince added yesterday: “As president of the FA, I saw an opportunity to bring the sport I love, that many men talk about more than anything else in their lives, to CHAT Prince talking about campaign yesterday help lead the next phase of the conversation. Heads Up will show men that we all have mental health just like we have physical health.
“A lot of men do not even realise they have those issues, so there is an educational thing here. Men are not ready to reach out because they man up.” Aston Villa fan William also revealed he had a tense night on Tuesday watching his team see off West Brom to make the Championship play-off final.
The prince will feature in a BBC show due to air on Sunday – A Royal Team Talk: Tackling Mental Health – where he will discuss men’s mental health alongside England manager Gareth Southgate and football stars Peter Crouch, Thierry Henry, Danny Rose and Jermaine Jenas.